Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1887-05-12
LETTER FROM MONROE.
Housing Loyal League Meetings
The MOrmOns All Taking
the Oath.

EDITOR DEMOCRAT: The three weeks
last past have been time of uncommon
commotion and excitement among the
Saints throughout the little valley OF
Sewer.
Major Z. NJ Byron, of Salt Lake City,
passed through the valley in the interest
of the LOYAL League, and spoke at the
various places where branch leagues have
been organized. After having delivered
a rousing and patriotic speech at Salina
and Richfield respectively, the Mayor
arrived at the little town oil Monroe,
April oath, where LOYAL hearts were ready
to receive him and his escort, which
consisted of Messrs. Philips and Sagers,
Of Salna. o. Cuddeback, of Vermillion,
and Niels Anderson, the Postmaster of
Rich6eld. The following evening an
open meeting Of the Loyal League was
held at Walter Jones hall, where the
Major spoke for two hours and was lis
tened to with the most profound attention
hy large audience OF Americans and
Mormons. The speaker began by portray
ing in beautiful language the great re-
sources and natural advantages with
which our lovely Territory abounds; of its
mines giving up their millions of dollars
ing thousands of laborers with employ
ment at prices not equaled in any other
country in the world; of its fertile val
leys, watered by mountain streams, that
are purity themselves atfOrding every adj
vantage to the agriculturalist; of its
mountain ranges carpeted with luxuriant
grasses, making it a paradise for stock
and sheep growers. In fact, he said,
everything is found here that free and
happy people could desire. But why
is it," he exclaimed, "that in country
where nature has lavished her gifts so
profusely, so much misery, contention,
poverty and wretchedness is to be found
among the greater portion of the inhabi-
tans?" The speaker then went on to ex-
plain, and in eloquent and burning words
that fairly riveted the spectators, and
brought.the flush of indignation to the
cheeks of every loyal person present, and
the blush of shame to those
of nearly every Mormon. He
spoke of the semi-civilized theocracy
that has grown up in this fair
Territory; Gifts polygamous homes where
is to be found nothing but careworn and
broken-hearted women; of its Under
ground X. r. that costs hundreds of
thousands of dollars wrenched annu-
ally from the poor classes to keep
it in running order; OF its opposition
to free schools, in fact, good schools
of any kind; of its disloyalty to the grand
est and most munifcent government on
earth. When the speaker closed, MANY
of his friends crowded around and COM
plimented him on the able manner in
which he handled his subject. The fol-
lowing day the Major accompanied by a
number of Monroe citizens, went to
Marysville and met with the League
bows in the evening, in open meeting,
where the Major spoke about three hours
with the same spirit and telling effect
that characterized his speech the even
before at Monroe. From Marysville the
Major returned to Salt Lake City, to
the regret Of all the law-abiding
citizens, and to the infinite Joy of
the Saints throughout the Valley.
The excitement which the Majors visit
created had barely begun to subside,
when the registration officers began their
work registering. When the Edmunds-
Tucker bill first became a law. the
brethren here vowed they would not
take the oath. Many OF them declared
that no conscientious Mormon could take
it. Notwithstanding their assurances to
the contrary, they have all taken it with
out an exception. Some of the less con-
sentative have gone so lar as to give the
registration officer to understand, That's
they were obliged to do so in order to
comply with the order of the leaders 4ef
the Church; that they received their in
structions from their bishop, who claimed
that they were sent direct from John
Taylor, and that all who were not dis